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Sales is bitter, sales is hard. To boost performance, I've driven myself into three roles: a madman, a fool, and a grandson. These three roles mean possessing the spirit of a madman, the stubbornness of a fool, and the awareness of being a grandson—these are the three indispensable conditions for doing sales well.

What is a Madman? A so-called madman is someone who thinks too much, racking their brains all day over product innovation, pricing, communication and promotion, promotional plans, channel expansion, and marketing strategies. They wish they had three heads, and even then it might not be enough. In the end, they end up with bleary eyes and a dazed mind, so exhausted from overthinking that they just want to sleep when they get home.

But it is precisely this madman spirit that enables us to do the market better and make it easier for customers to accept our products. That's the role of the madman. In sales, what you fear is not being "mad"; being "mad" is good. However, relatively speaking, the more "mad" you are, the greater the pressure that comes with it.

What is a Fool? A so-called fool is someone who goes out in wind and rain, keeping company with the sunrise and dancing with the stars. Their mind is filled with sales volume and performance targets, mindful of their superiors' earnest teachings and coercive inducements. With no choice, they can only run forward.

Without reinforcements, without intelligence, like a kite with a broken string, they drift everywhere. They drink from the Yangtze River and then eat fish from the Pearl River, fighting north and south, east and west, just like Tom Hanks' character "Forrest Gump."

Their legs are worn out from running, and sometimes they can't produce results immediately. When they return to the company, they have to face criticism from their superiors. Bearing the sun, bearing pressure, braving wind and rain—this is the sales "fool." But why are there so many people willing to be "fools"?

Of course, if you persist as a fool, there are benefits. I once heard this saying: If you keep doing sales until age 30, there are two paths: either you eventually start your own business and become a boss, or you become a professional manager.

What is a Grandson? A so-called grandson: these days, whoever buys your goods is the master. When facing distributors, retailers, and consumers, we have to squeeze out a smile from our exhausted and weary expressions. Though awkward, the smile is sincere.

The master cannot be neglected. We cater to their views and practices, figure out how to please them, and even perform acts of "filial piety" like a crow feeding its parent. It's almost like being a grandson, having to serve them well.

Of course, you can't always be a "grandson." Sometimes in sales, you can't be soft-hearted! You can't lack your own opinions! You can't give in to customers! You must follow company procedures...

The "three roles" spirit of salespeople: eating boxed lunches, riding buses, sleeping in simple, unheated standard rooms, and in the evening entertaining clients, doing the "three accompaniments" (accompanying meals, drinking, and entertainment). On rare weekends when dating a girlfriend, you still have to call your boss and lie, saying you're meeting a client.

Through countless hardships and countless strategies, this is the true portrayal of us marketing people. Sometimes I really want to cry, but I can't, because tears have dried up, leaving only the dripping sweat without saltiness...

With the "three roles" spirit, we see success, and success gets closer and closer. Anyone who has watched "Soldiers' Sortie" knows the six words: "Never abandon, never give up." Honestly, being a madman, a fool, or a grandson isn't bad at all. These days, we lack this kind of Xu Sanduo spirit. For a better tomorrow, sing and dance, and move forward with a smile...

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